Having found the secret ingredient to reinvigorate the horror genre through bloody insanity and surreal camera work, last year, “Evil Dead Rise” (2023) Director Fede Álvarez left his imprint on yet another franchise lost in creative reflection and swings for the fences and mostly succeeded.
“Alien Romulus” is a well-crafted canvas reinforced by solid performances from the entire cast, with an exceptional focus on practical effects and a beautiful claustrophobic slaughterhouse from the genius of the Uruguayan filmmaker.
No one can hear you scream, but a sold-out theater can
“Alien Romulus” is a melting pot and a blend of modern-day cinematography, pieced together through a plethora of practical materials such as sets, costumes, locations, and even the creatures and aliens themselves, leaving the viewer echoing the 1980s, heralding the days of the past, which includes fast-found footage segments reinforced with a haunting and viscous score from composer Benjamin Wallsfisch, offering a return to the franchise’s roots.
Wallsficsh’s composition invokes the tender softness of the strings and subtle percussion, as a haunting cacophony of trombones fills the void. At the same time, horns freeze the audience, resulting in ultimate predator sections. In these sections, the audience becomes fearful of biting their popcorn as everyone holds their breath, drowning out the shrieks of terror and the screams from the cast as they are being hunted down individually.
Though we have witnessed misfires such as “Alien Covenant” (2017), it was a nice change of pace to see the Xenomorphs stand tall in their cinematic acidic fright without the overabundance of unnecessary fake blood. In addition, speaking of the cast, everyone performed exceptionally well.
David Jonsson had a breakout role as the character of Andy (A synth or android), or a robot for ordinary viewers, resulting in the young actor providing two different perspectives and personalities due to a variety of scenes stood out that helped build the brilliance of Jonsson’s machinations, which weren’t just the broken humanity behind the composed and docile frustration being shown, carried by the soft emotional moments between the characters’ arc also helped offer a point of guilt towards seeing the notion of hubris act as a foil to advance the plot.
Callie Spaeny commands the screen and never lets go, as the film was written and projected from her perspective. However, as the plot progresses, Spaeney goes through an evolutionary tale, from the girl trapped at the end of the line to the hardened soldier fighting for last breath amid horrific conditions beyond comprehension.
We see her motivations to take on this suicide mission, and we witness the first time she sees the devastation of the Xenos, along with the courage she invokes to survive, transforming her into yet again another strong female protagonist whom the series is known for.
It worked as the narrative displayed through her eyes of Rain(Spaeny) is one of evolution as we meet her awoken by dreams of false aspirations, juxtaposed to the rainy delirium of the colony, all in service to the lucid thoughts imprinted to the audience that these characters are cogs in the machine, rats on the hamster wheel. This results in the audience feeling a tad sympathetic and attached to each member, which builds to the point of understanding that the stakes presented are a monkey’s paw life-or-death scenario, an endless tunnel of no resolution, meaning it’s pretty impactful when one gets killed off.
A running theme centered around the apparent support of a surrogate sibling, looking out for a best friend trying to pull herself by her bootstraps in a broken system, trying to escape the servitude of being crushed under the thumb of corruption during the first act, reinforced by the confessional consequence of knowing the only way to escape one hell is to embrace another, no matter the odds.
Isabella Merced served as yet another extension of the film’s heart, but many will gripe and emphasize that her role was diminished and could be relegated to a more gentle variation and reprisal of Spaeny’s heroics. That said, Merced did quite well, as her range of emotion and the frequency of seeing the wrath of God painted on her face was well worth the admission, boasting that her rise to stardom has been a great tribute to witness.
Alieen Wu and Spike Fearn contributed little to the plot besides a few creative scenes and gut-churning deaths, as the trailers only showcased a simple taste of their eventful demise; still, when they cast a bow, they didn’t disappoint. Archie Renaux had great chemistry with Spaeny and Jonsson, as the scenes they shared were thrilling and unique.
One thing to mention that the film presents quite quickly is offering a split point of view, as the arcs reveal some characters trying to survive on the ship and uncover the mystery.
In contrast, others are being hunted, both sides of the same coin, impressionable conduits of human survival and human genocide, one lens of the film more action-orientated, similar to the Dead Space video game franchise, and the other claustrophobic identity trying to harness the lightning in the bottle formula that director Ridley Scott possessed years prior.
Visceral and creative execution
Álvarez toyed with the pacing and raw brutality of the murder unfolding, which was a glorious sight to behold. Each set was a personal sandbox to tinker with, going from rainy, desolate construction sites to the vacuum of space and the haunting paranoia of being watched while the slime-infested hive of the xenomorph slowly established as the film carried on.
It worked for the better from the quiet interactions early on from the chamber housing the parasites, as the trailers presented, flooded with water due to the cryo-chambers, returning to room temperature as the monsters scurry through the puddles. The camera switches to their pov, culminating around the bloodshot red light emergency color hues, pushing the boundary between the roles and subsequent actions of who’s prey and where’s the hunter.
In other moments, the Xenomorphs can be found by their saliva dripping from the ceiling and the patent acid spit having a moment to shine.
As discussed previously, the variety and execution of the kills were well crafted. From the face huggers carrying and incubating a victim to a scene of the Alien stalking its prey as characters breathe on the sealed doors, trying to muster the courage, it’s fascinating to witness.
Gratuitous violence that breeds food for thought isn’t required due to the value of relying on shadows, jump scares, and the gradual build and symbolic illustration of the kill, making it clear Álvarez used and pushed every ounce of the 80 million dollar budget that 20th-century studios offered him to the limit.
From the camera acting as a character, building out the set, and masquerading behind the variety of colors, working the rotation of frame during moments of zero gravity to the eerie opening of doors creaking or the dust flickering off the fans, destruction thrust from slumber, working in tandem with Cinematographer Galo Olivares, each element added to the puzzle forming a prison, with no means of escape. Ultimately, it’s clear that the horror genre is returning to form while invoking a field day, which is a beautiful confession to witness.
Final verdict
Overall, “Alien Romulus” is a step up from previous franchise chapters, but it doesn’t touch the brilliance of the first two films. However, bearing witness to the Xenomorphs, even though in a bit rushed fashion as the life cycle of the creature was a bit rushed, which could lead to irritation, most notably the hardcore fan, especially as the screenplay felt like the narrative could have been more coherent by completion.
Of course, the film is a great entry point for fans interested in the series or looking to have a great time at the movies. It should be known that the events occur between the 57-year gap at the end of the events of Alien, right before Aliens picks up. Still, some problems arise as the script treads water due to the lingering confusion and reliance on invoking studio-mandated callbacks that tarnish the overall experience while backing out of scope, including an outdated CGI model of a particular character, which reignited the age-old debate of actually recasting for iconic roles, and giving a new actor a chance to take on the legacy.
The only present gripe was the script’s attempt to recreate the first film’s magic while acting as a spiritual successor. However, including iconic dialogue plucked from the originals and given to characters to use as throwaway lines felt a bit cheap and a tad stale. Still, Director Fede Álvarez has officially thrown his name in the ring for all-time horror auteur and visionary. He also makes a case for a potential Oscar nomination for production and set design.
All about ‘Alien Romulus’
While scavenging the deep ends of a derelict space station, a group of young space colonizers come face to face with the most terrifying life form in the universe.
“Alien: Romulus” stars Cailee Spaeny (“Civil War”), David Jonsson (“Agatha Christie’s Murder is Easy”), Archie Renaux (“Shadow and Bone”), Isabela Merced (“The Last of Us”), Spike Fearn (Aftersun), and Aileen Wu. Fede Álvarez (“Evil Dead,” “Don’t Breathe”) directs from a screenplay he wrote with frequent collaborator Rodo Sayagues (“Don’t Breathe 2”) based on characters created by Dan O’Bannon and Ronald Shusett.
The film is produced by Ridley Scott (Napoleon), who directed the original Alien and produced and directed the series’ entries Prometheus and Alien: Covenant, Michael Pruss (Boston Strangler), and Walter Hill (Alien), with Fede Alvarez, Elizabeth Cantillon (Charlie’s Angels), Brent O’Connor (Bullet Train), and Tom Moran (Unstoppable) serving as executive producers.
“Alien Romulus” is now in theaters.
